Nomadgal, I just found your RR and I've read it all the way through. I keep dreaming of doing a touring trip, either solo or with my partner, and your story makes it seem that much more possible for me. Thanks! :)

Hope to meet you on the road one day Kitsune06! I am encouraged and amazed every time I meet or hear about another female rider! Yay! Lets even out the man - woman rider ratio !!!

That looks like a handy thing to have! It's pretty small by the looks of it, hmmmmmmm.
Maybe at some point in the future! I already have an access point hooked up from the battery, for my battery charger in case my battery is ever dead or low.

It is pretty small! You can see mine in this pic (click to enlarge):

The hose isn't very long though, so if your SAE cable isn't long enough to reach nearish the tire, you'd need to get an extension for it. When we meet up I'll let you mess with it if you like. :)

Another thing which I really want (but can't justify the money currently) is one of these. I want to get a battery to SAE cable like yours, and then something like this so I can charge stuff via usb in my bags.

I would like to suggest that next time your in "wallyworld" go to the automotive section and look for a "Slime Tire Top Off" air compressor, Part #40020 --at $10.00 it will save you a lot of grief, it's very compact, takes up little room, has a built in lite & pressure gauge and is worth it just for the peace of mind.

I've had mine over 5 years have used it repeatedly to "air up or down" and has come in extra handy when ridding buddies have a flat & no way to air up.

I think you'll look at as the best ten bucks you ever spent

Just my dos centoves

Doh!!!! sorry guess I should read back pages --- well any way well worth it !!

I have the $30 Slime pump and have used it many times to seat the bead on my 950's rear tire-and to make it worse, I like the Heidenau tires, which have one of the stiffest casings I've ever worked with. The Slime pump will get me the 90 or so PSI I need to seat that PiTA tire.

Just remember not to let it run for more than 5-8 minutes at a time, then a commensurate rating period in between. Apparently the cheaper one has a plastic piston, and is even more susceptible to the heat caused by the pump doing its job. After all, one of those laws of physics has the temperature rising with pressure...

I consider it to be "essential" to my tool set. If it broke tomorrow, a new one would immediately take its place. I do carry a small bicycle pump as back up, but never had to use it.

__________________
Feike

I don't have to agree with you to like you or respect you. -Anthony Bourdain

When i ride long distances i take my Slime air pump, and while they take a few minutes to air a tire up, they still beat a hand pump. Changed a few tires on the road on my klr with it. The case is real small, doesnt take up very much room. I just plug it in to the cigarette light i installed, and 4-5 minutes later the tire is aired up. It doesnt put out a ton of air pressure, but i found with some lube on the tire, the beads seat just fine. Amazon.com has them for $30.11 with free shipping. A must for any epic adventure.

Great ride report Nomadgal. I just started reading along and it sounds like quite the adventure. The klr is my bike of choice as well. A cheap way to conquer the world, thats for sure.

Hi MerlinIII
The ratchet strap trick is more for beading tubeless tires. It doesn't really do anything for tube type tires like the KLR has.
Regards....justjeff

Thanks Jeff. Guess I wasn't paying attention again.

__________________
"I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I am not absolutely sure about anything." Richard Feynman, Cal Tech Scientist

It's 10:30 am, and I am finally on the road again!
These last mknute things just took forever it seemed!
After two months of being grounded, packing up was an ordeal even though I put a divider to keep my stuff from falling out in my Pelicans. I still feel I own too much junk!
At starbucks now having some oatmeal, and about to hit the road!
Pictures and ride report later, stand by!

It's 10:30 am, and I am finally on the road again!
These last mknute things just took forever it seemed!
After two months of being grounded, packing up was an ordeal even though I put a divider to keep my stuff from falling out in my Pelicans. I still feel I own too much junk!
At starbucks now having some oatmeal, and about to hit the road!
Pictures and ride report later, stand by!

Since I'm finding myself about as tuckered as can be just reading about your tire repairs, I think I have a new plan. My future rides will be in areas where cell phones will work and tow trucks will be available! I'm too dang old to do any of this myself anymore! I still wanna ride though.....